Trolley routes Targeted

By Allison Brophy Champion

Published: July 25, 2008

Culpeper’s two trolleys are getting ready to go an extra mile or so — on a trial basis.

Starting Monday, the northern loop trolley will add the Target shopping center along Bus. 29 to its stops and the southern loop trolley will pick up from the Culpeper Senior Nutrition Site on U.S. Avenue.

The new stops will remain in place as part of the normal schedule for 90 days, through October 28, at which time the Public Transportation Advisory Committee will evaluate the news stops’ effectiveness.

The new service could be extended beyond 90 days if demand warrants.

The new Target and Nutrition Site stops will cause the trolleys to run on a 40-minute schedule versus the previous half-hour loop, originating at the Depot downtown.

Also, starting August 2, the Saturday trolleys will drop an hour of service because of funding constraints. Its new hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The new Target service will run all day during normal trolley hours: from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and during the new weekend hours.

The new service to the Nutrition Site will run during the center’s peak hours — from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.

PTAC Vice Chairwoman Elana Clements, a town resident, said the two new stops were added in response to numerous requests from riders to expand service into the busy commercial area around Target and the active senior center next to the Culpeper National Cemetery.

The Committee considered adding additional northern loop stops at nearby Lowe’s and Starbucks, but traffic lights and traffic in that area it would have thrown off the trolley’s schedule too much, Clements said.

“We would like to continue getting people where they need to be for as long as possible,” she said, mentioning a need for a third trolley to serve the town and its environs. “It is a mater if there is a still a need, if there is funding and scheduling.

“If it works, hopefully it can become part of the regular schedule. We are really excited about it.”

In other news of public transportation, the county’s “on demand” bus will permanently add three hours of daily service.

New hours for the county bus will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Call 540-825-2456 to schedule a pick-up time for a ride on the County Express Bus.

All rides need to be scheduled 24 hours in advance.

Clements said there is “a great need” for a second county bus, but again, funding constraints have made it unachievable for the time being.

A combination of local, state and federal funds support Culpeper’s public transit system.

The number of riders using the town trolleys and the county’s bus consistently increases month to month.

At 50 cents a ride compared to nearly $4 for a gallon of gas, it’s easy to see why.

In June, 5,310 people rode the town’s two trolleys.

In the county, 574 people used the on-demand service in June and another 356 residents rode a separate bus for the disabled.

“It’s surprising for a such small community, the number of people who use public transportation,” said Clemens, adding that PTAC is dedicated to main-taining the affordability of the services for its users.

Allison Brophy Champion can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 101

At-a-glance
The northern loop trolley will expand its service to the Target shopping center on Bus. 29 starting Monday. The new service will run all day during normal trolley hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on week-days and 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
The southern loop trolley will expand its service to the Culpeper Senior Nutrition Site on U.S. Avenue starting Monday, running every weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The new stops will cause the trolleys to run on a 40-minute schedule versus the previous half-hour loop, originating at the Depot downtown.
Both new services are being offered on a trial basis, through Oct. 28, at which time it could be continued based on demand.
Further, starting Aug. 2, the Saturday trolleys will lose an hour of service in the mornings and will instead run from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Finally, the county will extend its “on demand” bus three hours with service available from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-day through Friday.